


they tried to reach me (but I lay upon the ground)

by SilverLiningShadows



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics), Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, Major Character Injury, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-20
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-07-09 02:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19879912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverLiningShadows/pseuds/SilverLiningShadows
Summary: Jason slowly puts down the gun, seething. “Screw Batman’s rules, you’re dead.” He snarls. As he slowly raises back up, hands in the air, he contemplates his options. None are good. Tim’s eyes plead with him to run, get away from the psychotic clown that’s taken Jason’s life once before. As if he’d leave Tim with the man who still haunts his dreams. As terrified as he is for himself, his fear for Tim is far greater.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey y'all! I haven't posted anything in a long time, so please let me know what you think! Title is from Squares by the Beta Band

"You bat brats are always getting in the way. Just had to spoil the fun, didn't you!" the Joker tirades, waving his gun around in the smoky air.

Jason grits his teeth, watching how in Joker’s fervor his other arm simultaneously tightens around Tim’s neck and causes his already pale face to lose more color. “Hey O,” he growls, training his gun on Joker, eyes locked on Tim’s. “Now would be a good time for some backup.”

Tim’s hands, already bloodied, grasp for purchase against Joker’s sickly limb. They’re standing off in the middle of the street as smoke from nearby buildings flows in from the alleyways. Distant sirens echo, and he swears he can hear the crackling of the fire a few blocks over. Distantly, he thinks it’s probably just the stress of the situation making him imagine things, but he shoves any concern for his own mental state aside. 

Joker’s arm is wrapped around Tim’s neck, lifting him a few inches off of the ground as the boy detective struggles for air. His uniform is tattered, pieces hanging off to reveal gaping wounds where the fabric should be. Earlier, when Tim was taking in breaths, his breath hitched with each inhale, which indicates one-if-not multiple broken ribs. Blood is trickling down the curve of his jaw.

Jason wants to kill the Joker.

“Batman and the others are evacuating civilians and disarming the remaining bombs. They’ll rendezvous when they’re taken care of.”

“Hurry,” he pleads.

Joker tightens his grip again, causing Tim’s legs to scramble for purchase against the receding ground. Panic fills Tim’s eyes, causing Jason to start forward. He can’t just stand here, not while Tim’s in trouble.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Boy Blunder” Joker singsongs. He points the gun back at Tim’s head, like the asphyxiation wasn’t already life-threatening enough. “The little bird here won’t be able to sing anymore if you insist on pointing that at me.” Jason glares at the clown, trying to decide if he has a clear shot. He doesn’t. “I’m getting impatient, boy,” Joker threatens, stroking Tim’s head with the muzzle of the gun. Tim tries to pull his head away but wheezes when Joker grips him tighter, face losing more color.

Jason slowly puts down the gun, seething. “Screw Batman’s rules, you’re dead.” He snarls. As he slowly raises back up, hands in the air, he contemplates his options. None are good. Tim’s eyes plead with him to run, get away from the psychotic clown that’s taken Jason’s life once before. As if he’d leave Tim with the man who still haunts his dreams. As terrified as he is for himself, his fear for Tim is far greater.

Joker cackles, causing Tim to struggle as he swings around. “Boy, you’re a riot. You’ve always been my favorite, ya know? Not like the newer model here,” he grins, pulling back at Tim’s hair to look into his face. “Uses his brain too much. Pathetic. Trying to be like Bat-Daddy dearest but always falling short.” Tim bares his teeth at the Joker, opening his mouth to make a snide remark in the face of death.   
“Go to—” A choked scream emits from his mouth as Joker twists the gun into one of Tim’s abdominal wounds.

“Stop!” Jason screams, reaching for Tim but stopping when Joker cocks the gun. “What do you want?”

Joker howls with laughter, causing Tim and Jason to flinch. “Me? I just wanna have a little fun; a good ol’ laugh.” He continues laughing, twirling, then throws Tim to the ground in front of him. Tim gasps as his body hits the floor, suddenly able to breathe again but now fully aware of his still bleeding wounds. Jason runs to Tim as Joker backs into an alleyway.

“Baby bird,” Jason slides to the ground next to Tim, bringing his head to his lap as he checks his injuries. “God, you’re such an idiot.” He rips the remains of Tim’s cape, wadding it up. “Always getting in trouble.” He brings the fabric to the worst of Tim’s wounds. “Hold this.”

Tim hisses. “One of his explosions threw me off of a building, sue me.” He brings a bloodied hand up to hold his mangled stomach. “Then he thought stabbing me would be a real hoot.” Tim’s still panting and Jason clenches his fist, wondering, if this torture wasn’t enough fun for Joker, then how much does he need?

No, he reminds himself. Now’s not the time. He’ll never understand Joker’s twisted mind, so he should focus on helping Tim.

Tim whimpers as Jason’s hands press down on the makeshift bandage, then grabs Jason’s shoulder as he makes to stand. Jason tries to gently pull him back down. “He did a real number on you. You’re gonna bleed out if we don’t bandage these.” He begs. “B can get him.” 

“No,” Tim replies, groaning as he pushes off of the ground. Jason has no choice but to rise with him, keeping him balanced. “B’s across town, and Joker couldn’t have gotten far.” 

Jason’s holding Tim upright, steading his swaying body. He pleads with Tim to leave it to the others, insisting “you can’t even stand on your own, how are you gonna to chase Joker. but stops when they hear it. Laughter. Their heads whip around, finding Joker standing at the far end of the street.

“Joker,” Tim croaks, pushing away from Jason and towards the clown.

“Uh uh uh little bird,” Joker interrupts, pulling something from his pocket. Jason squints at the object through the smoke, trying to ascertain what it is. “I haven’t had my fun yet.”

Realization dawns on Jason as Tim stumbles forward. He hears Babs in his ear, telling him that backup is on the way, but it’s too late. “Tim, don’t!” he yells as Joker presses the remote. He tackles Tim to the ground as the world explodes around them, shrapnel piercing his back. 

He doesn’t feel the pain for long before he blacks out.


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing he feels is pain.

It's hazy, but the strength of it is enough to bring him out of his stupor. His back feels like it's on fire, and the weight of the world seems to be pressing on him. He opens his mouth to breathe, but instead of air, he sucks in a lungful of smoke. He coughs, then groans as the movement aggravates his wounds.

"Jay," he hears above him through the ringing of his ears. "Jay... please focus..." His cheek is on something warm.

Tim, he thinks. That's Tim's voice, Tim's chest beneath his cheek.

"Baby bird, wha..." Then he remembers. Joker. "Fuck," he hisses.

"Yeah," Tim wheezes out. "Things aren't... looking great right now." He's panting. Jason tries to push off Tim to get a good look at him, but can only get a few inches before he feels the press of debris against his back, his legs still flush against the ground. They're pinned beneath a rather large pile of rubble from the Joker's "fun" surprise, bloody and bruised. He isn't at a great angle, but seeing Tim's dazed expression in the tiny slits of light makes panic start to set in.

"Fuck," he repeats.

Even though his body screams to stop, he stays hovering above Tim, taking stock of the younger hero's injuries. The Joker had already done a number on him, but now Tim looks like he's got a leg through death's door. The gash in his head is only now starting to congeal, finally ceasing to add to the sizable puddle of blood beneath the teen's head, and Jason can feel his ribs shifting in unnatural ways along with the wetness of blood. His right arm is pinned beneath the beams on his right (Jason's left), and his breath is coming out in pants, eyes fluttering and mouth grimacing as he tries to retain his hold on consciousness. 

"C'mon baby bird, stay with me," he chokes, bile rising in his throat. They can't be trapped. He can't lose Tim, not like this, not to Joker. Jason slowly moves his arm forward, straining to keep his body raised as he brings his hand to stroke Tim's face. It's hot, too hot. 

"Too much, too much... blood," Tim murmurs, eyes shutting. "Can't... Couldn't reach B, Oracle, anyone. his lidded eyes shift down to focus on Jason. "Do you think they'll find us? Jay, my leg. I can't..." Jason's blood runs cold. He tries to get a glimpse of Tim's leg, but it disappears below the crumbled building on Jason's right.

He swallows. "Tim, I..." he trails off. His head is swimming, but he needs to get Tim out.

"It's m'kay," Tim slurs, "I'd rather not die, but at least you'll be the last thing I see," he flirts, a lazy smirk finding its way onto his face only to turn into a grimace. 

"You're the best thing to happen to me, baby bird," he replies solemnly, tripping over his words. Everything is starting to get heavier, so he lies back down on Tim, his hand finding the other man's.

Tim chuckles. "I know."

Distantly, he can hear rubble moving, but he's too far gone to stay awake. He squeezes Tim's hand before it all fades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter! I've been super busy but I wanted to add to the story. I might come back and edit it later. Thanks for all the kudos!


End file.
